The present invention relates to the use of specific amino acids in the preparation of a medicament or nutritional formulation which may be therapeutically administered to patients suffering from a wide variety of diseases and morbid conditions.
It has now surprisingly been found that, inter alia, glycine is suitable for minimizing and/or preventing the metabolic effects of a wide range of disease states and traumatized or other morbid conditions induced by elevated TNF levels.
In view of the above-mentioned effects, there are provided pharmaceutical compositions, formulations and diets comprising glycine as well as methods of using glycine. For use in the compositions, formulations, diets and methods of the invention, glycine is conveniently employed in free amino acid form, in the form of glycine precursors, in particular alanine or serine, likewise in free amino acid form, in physiologically acceptable salt form of said amino acids, or in form of mixtures of said amino acids and/or physiologically acceptable salts thereof. Glycine is preferably used in free amino acid form, in physiologically acceptable salt form or in the form of a mixture of glycine in free amino acid form with glycine in physiologically acceptable salt form; most preferably glycine is in free amino acid form.
The term "amino acid of the invention" as used hereinafter is meant to refer to glycine, alanine and/or serine, in free amino acid form and/or physiologically acceptable salt form.